fifteen

The next day the Davises drove them into the small town of Wiseville. Ruby had given Susannah the pretty dress that she’d worn the night before and with it an attractive case to put her yellow dress in. Susannah had been grateful for the kindness, for they were to take the train all the way to Charleston, and it was a much better traveling garment than the plain dress she’d worn on the first leg of their trip.

After they’d said their good-byes and thank-yous to the kind family, they stopped by the sheriff’s office to see if the outlaws had been found.

Sure enough, when they walked into the office, all five of the outlaws were behind bars and looking pretty upset about it.

“We were lucky. We found them before the rain started falling, thanks to some English fellow and Mr. Calhoun, the stagecoach driver,” the sheriff explained. “Since there is a warrant out on ’em in North Carolina for busting out of jail, we’re waiting on someone to pick them up. They’ll have to deal with those charges there as well as the charges against them here for robbery and kidnapping. We’ve got Butch over there for attempted murder.”

“Aw, we said we let her go, didn’t we? Her daddy’ll have us hanged if he gets wind that we kidnapped her! He liked to have done it the last time!” Durwood whined from his cell.

“Yeah, and I didn’t mean to shoot ’im! He just scare’t me, charging up to Dugin like a wild man. It went off in my hand, I promise!” Butch cried, adding his own defense.

Susannah looked at the pitiful expressions on the outlaws’ faces and felt herself soften. Other than the inconvenience and some pain on Bobby’s part, they were all right. She was sure that none of them could really shoot to kill. The reason they’d received lighter sentences in North Carolina was that half of them didn’t even have bullets in their guns!

“Oh, Bobby, can’t we just drop the charges of attempted murder and kidnapping? We both know they didn’t really mean to harm us,” she cooed, putting her arm through his.

“Susannah, are you out of your mind?” he burst out. But when he looked at her, his outraged expression immediately changed. He cleared his throat and began again. “I mean, Susannah, dear, they did shoot me. Don’t you remember how upset you were when you thought I was dead?” His voice had undergone a major shift in tone.

Susannah stared at him and wondered what had just happened. “But they didn’t. And you heard them—they didn’t mean to do it. And I did sort of provoke them into taking me. You know how I can be!” she argued.

He smiled at her and patted her hand that was resting in the crook of his arm. “Susannah, of course I don’t know what you mean, and besides, there’s no excuse for kidnapping you.”

She blinked in amazement. Did that knock to his head erase his memory? “You told me it was my fault! Don’t you remember?”

“Uh, Ma’am?” the sheriff interrupted, embarrassed but clearly fascinated with their conversation. “No matter what the circumstances were, they did shoot your husband and kidnap you.”

Susannah pulled her searching eyes from her husband. She’d just have to think about his strange behavior later. For now, she wanted to set the record straight.

“Sheriff, do I have the power to dismiss the charges against them for kidnapping me?”

“Only if your husband agrees.”

Susannah looked back at Bobby. He actually smiled at her. Well, since he was in such a nice mood, she thought she might as well take advantage of it. She’d never have any peace if these men were hanged on her account.

“Bobby. . .dear,” she added, copying his earlier endearment. “Please do this for me. You know in your heart of hearts that it’s the right thing to do. I don’t think God would want us to be so vindictive, do you?” she asked softly.

She could tell Bobby Joe was gritting his teeth in annoyance. She wondered why he didn’t just tell her what was on his mind. It surely couldn’t be because they were surrounded by strangers. That had never stopped him before!

“How long will they serve if I drop the charges?” Bobby finally said, resignation in his voice.

“Oh, about forty years or so.”

“All right,” he said to her utter amazement. “Drop the charges, sheriff.”

The sheriff just shook his head, mumbling something unflattering under his breath as he made a note of Bobby’s request.

In the cell behind the sheriff, all the men were on the verge of tears, thanking her for saving their miserable hides.

When they were outside and walking to the train station, Bobby Joe took her arm in a gentlemanly fashion. She looked at him and saw that he wasn’t happy but for some reason was trying to hide it.

She wanted to demand that he tell her what was wrong, but then she remembered Ruby’s words. She could talk, but not nag.

She sighed. How would she ever figure out what was wrong if she didn’t confront him about it?

But she wouldn’t. She was supposed to let him know how much she loved him and cared for him. And he obviously was making an effort to get along, too. At least she thought that was what he was trying to do.

So she leaned into him slightly, linking both of her arms through his. “Thank you, Bobby. I know you didn’t have to do it, but I appreciate your dropping those charges. They’re really not evil men, just a little misguided. Maybe while they’re in jail, we can have a preacher sent to talk to them.”

She looked up at his strong, handsome face at the same moment he looked down at her. His light blue eyes were so clear in the morning sun as they gazed into her own. There was tenderness there, and something more, too, though Susannah was afraid to call it love.

She knew that her own love for him had to be shining in her eyes. Her heart ached to be able to freely share her feelings and have them returned.

“You’re welcome, Red,” he answered warmly, then glanced away. “I want you to be happy. If keeping a few outlaws from hanging will make that happen, then I’m willing to do it.”

But why? she wanted to ask. Did he want this because he loved her or because he was just trying to make amends?

She wouldn’t find out immediately, though.

Bobby Joe bought them passage on the train, and then they were led to a private compartment. It was quite lovely, with its rich red velvet interior and its gold-fringed trim on the shades at the windows.

They stored their two small cases and then sat across from each other. They didn’t talk much, each seemingly occupied by his or her own thoughts.

Susannah was looking out the window, gazing at the lush green forest that they were passing through when Bobby spoke to her.

“Have you ever wanted children of your own, Susannah?”

The question was so out of the blue that for a moment she didn’t answer. “Uh. . .children?” Her mind raced, wondering how she should answer this. She thought about being evasive, but decided that too many secrets had been kept between them.

So she answered truthfully. “Yes, Bobby. I’ve always dreamed of having children. Several, in fact. That’s why I love being a schoolteacher. It’s the next best thing, I guess.”

He stared at her so intensely that she regretted being so frank. Maybe that wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“Yet you were willing to give up that dream to marry me?” His voice was soft, but there was an underlying urgency that baffled her.

“Well, I knew that I would have Beth, and I guess, deep inside, I had hoped. . .” But she couldn’t finish the sentence.

But he wasn’t satisfied. “You hoped what?”

She shook her head, giving him a feeble smile. “Oh, nothing. It was just silly.”

He reached across for her hand and engulfed it in his own callused hand. “Your hopes aren’t silly to me, Susannah.”

She swallowed, looking down at their linked hands. Without thinking, she placed her other hand on top of his strong, manly one, caressing it gently. “I hoped. . .”—she took a breath and willed herself to just say the truth—“I had hoped that you would change your mind,” she whispered, her lids drifting back up slowly so she could look him fully in the face.

A range of powerful emotions crossed his face. “I’m sorry, Red. . . ,” he began, but she suddenly cut him off.

Horrified by his apology, she took her hands from his. “No, no, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have admitted that. Our marriage was strictly a convenient arrangement and I had no business hoping that it could be. . .”

He stopped her by placing a thumb over her lips. Humor was brimming in his blue eyes. “Red, that’s not what I was apologizing for. I’m sorry that I was so blind to your feelings, that’s all. If I’d just taken a little time to get to know you the right way, I don’t think I would have suggested a marriage of convenience.”

She silently absorbed his words, trying not to read too much into them. “What would you have suggested?” she asked, holding her breath.

But he shook his head. “We’ll get into that later. For now, I would like us to try to get to know one another better. And speaking of which. . .” He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small package.

“For me?” she asked breathlessly.

He nodded. “I ran to the little store while you were waiting for the train. It isn’t much,” he said with a shrug.

She held the package with delight. “Oh, it is to me! I love it!”

“Susannah, you haven’t even opened it!” he told her with a chuckle.

She beamed a radiant smile at him. “But it’s from you—that’s all that matters.”

He gave her a wry look. “I’ll remember that next time and just get you an empty package,” he joked. “Now, are you going to open it?”

“Okay, okay!” She opened the brown wrapping carefully, and when she could see inside, she cried, “Oh, it’s beautiful!”

He smiled proudly at her as she pulled the silk fan from the wrapping and unfolded it. The sides were made of ivory and the silk was patterned with beautiful magnolia blossoms.

“Oh, Bobby! Thank you so much. How did you know that I would want one?” she asked as she tenderly touched the intricate carving on the ivory.

He gave a self-conscious shrug. “I’ve never seen you without one. And I can always tell when you’re aggravated about something, because you’ll whip it out and start rapidly fanning yourself,” he teased.

“Oh, you!” she exclaimed. “Well, if that’s the case, I would figure you’d just as soon not know when I’m aggravated! But it was sweet of you all the same.”

“I don’t need the fan to be able to know your feelings, Red. Not anymore. And besides, I wanted to get you something to make you feel special.”

She looked up at him and blurted, “But why?”

He leaned forward and took her chin in his hand, his thumb rubbing along her jaw. “Because that’s what a man does when he courts a woman.”

She could suddenly feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. “You’re courting me?”

He grinned dryly. “If you have to ask, I must not be doing too great of a job!”

“Oh, no! You are! I just. . .” She shook her head. “We’re already married,” she finished, unable to put her words together.

He abruptly left his seat and sat next to her. He cradled her face with his hands. “But I didn’t do things in the right order, Red. I didn’t court you first. Oh, I took you around town for a few weeks and brought you to have dinner with my family, but I wasn’t trying to get to know you. Not in a romantic sense, anyway.” He caressed her cheek and bent to give her a soft kiss on the lips. “So I’m going to do it now.”

She smiled and leaned to rub her nose against his. She loved being this close to him, loved being in his embrace. “I think I like that, Mr. Aaron,” she whispered softly, her lips only a breath away from his.

“Me, too, Mrs. Aaron.” Then he was kissing her. She wound her arms around his neck, and he pulled her close, deepening the kiss.

Susannah returned the kiss with every ounce of love that was in her heart. Never had he kissed her this way, and she knew that he loved her, too. It was there in his every move.

She just wished he could tell her in words!

He finally broke the kiss, and after reaching up to kiss her eyelids and nose, he hugged her tightly to him. In his arms Susannah felt so safe, so secure.

God had truly led her to this man, and although the relationship had been rocky, God was making a way for their marriage to work. He truly did make a way where there seemed to be no way, giving hope, when all she’d felt was hopelessness.

God had brought forgiveness when she thought that she’d done something unforgivable—destroyed her husband’s trust with a horrible secret.

After a sweet moment, they eased away from one another, but he kept his arm around her.

“Why don’t you lay your head on my shoulder and get some rest. I’ll wake you for lunch.”

“All right,” she answered, doing as he suggested.

Suddenly she laughed softly as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. “That’s why you were acting so oddly! You weren’t arguing with me because you were trying to be gallant and courtly!” she informed him, making reference to his behavior earlier.

“You thought I was acting odd?”

“Well,” she said, her eyes closing, “you just weren’t acting like your normal self. You know—grumpy,” she teased.

She heard the rumble of his chest as he chuckled. “Well, I’m trying to reform.”

She patted his chest. “Oh, don’t reform too much. I like you just the way you are,” she told him and then yawned.

She felt him put a tender kiss on her temple. “I’m glad. Now, quit talking and go to sleep,” he ordered, though his voice was light and loving.

“Yes, sir,” she murmured.

Just as she drifted off to sleep, she thought she heard him whisper, “I love you, Susannah.”

But, of course, it was probably just another one of her fanciful dreams.